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About World Food Day

FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Organization in 1945. Events are organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. World Food Day is a chance to show our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.

About the 2017 Theme

The world is on the move. Hunger, poverty, and an increase in extreme weather events linked to climate change are important factors contributing to the migration challenge.

Three-quarters of the extreme poor base their livelihoods on agriculture or other rural activities. Creating conditions that allow rural people, especially youth, to stay at home and to have more resilient livelihoods, is a crucial component of any plan to tackle the migration challenge.

Rural development can create business opportunities and jobs for young people that are crop-based as well as other enterprises such as small dairy or poultry production, food processing or horticulture.

It can also lead to increased food security, more resilient livelihoods, better access to social protection, reduced conflict over natural resources and solutions to environmental degradation and climate change.

By investing in rural development, the international community can also harness migration’s potential to support development and build the resilience of displaced and host communities, thereby laying the ground for long-term recovery and inclusive and sustainable growth.